Basket



Feb. 20, 1962 w. E. BIXBY EI'AL 3,022,058

BASKET Filed March 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 44- 1 10 o 34 4a a? 0'9 0 O O O O INVENTORS BY QYLEON .c. BIXBY United States Patent nership Filed Mar. 14, 1957, Ser; No. 646,108

7 Claims. (Cl. 263-47) This invention relates to improvements in baskets for use in heat treating operations and the like.

In heat treating small articles it is frequently the practice to place the articles in a porous metallic basket, expose the articles and basket to the prescribed heat, then quench the'articles and the basket in a suitable cooling bath. The basket is made porous to enable efiicient movement of the cooling liquid into and out of the basket. These baskets are repeatedly subjected to high beats with rapid cooling and for this reason tend to crack or otherwise become defective after relatively short usage.

An object of this invention is to provide a porous metallic heat treating basket so designed that it is capable of withstanding repeated heating and quenching without becoming defective.

Another object of this invention is to provide a porous metallic basket of simple and economic construction readily assembled from conventional wire screen materials.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a porous metallic basket for use in heat treatment operations and the like, the basket including a frame assembly for supporting a lattice of wire elements, these elements being capable of thermal expansion independently of the supporting frame.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a wire lattice employed in fabricating the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view, with portionsbroken away, of the preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken substan tially along the section line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view, taken substan-' tially along the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 1'.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top plan view, with portions broken away, of the preferred embodiment.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view, with portions broken away, of the preferred embodiment.

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of the supporting framework for the preferred embodiment.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, with portions broken away, of a modification.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view, with portions broken away, of the modification.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged elevational view of formed wire elements employed in the modification, the view illustrating one step in the fabrication of the modification.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged sectional view, taken substantially along the section line 1111 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary end elevational view, with portions broken away, of the modification.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates a mesh of parallel support rods 10 and 12 and parallel wire elements 14, the wire elements 14 extending normal to the support rods 10 and 12, and having a crosssectional area considerably smaller than that of the support rods 10 and 12. As illustrated in detail in FIG- URE 4, the wire elements 14 are looped around succes sive support rods 10 and 12.

The mesh of FIGURE 1 is so designed that the opposite margins of the mesh may be bent upwardly to form the sides and the ends of a basket. Thus, at points indicated by the reference numeral 16, the wire elements 14 are bent forming the ends of the basket, and at points designated by the numeral 18, support rods 10 are bent to form the sides of the basket.

After forming the mesh of FIGURE 1 into a basket, the basket is supported by a suitable framework illustrated in FIGURE 7. This framework includes four similar corner members 29, substantiallyrectangular in crosssection, provided with suitable borings 22 adapted to receive the ends of the support rods 12 associated with the ends of the basket formed by the mesh of FIGURE 1. As the corner members 20 are brought into engagement with the ends of the support rods 12, the ends of the support rods 12 are upset, as best illustrated in FIGURE 3 at 24, to secure the support rods to the corner members 21 The pairs of corner members 20 at the opposite ends of the basket are retained in spaced parallel relation by means of a cross bar 25 which may be welded, bolted, or otherwise secured to the ends of the corner members 20.

As best illustrated in FIGURE 3, each corner member 20 is provided with a groove or channel 28, adapted to receive the ends of the wire elements 14 forming the sides of the basket. This construction allows for freedom of thermal expansion of the wire elements 14 forming the sides of the basket. 7 7

With the corner members 20 secured in position, laterally extending frame members 39, formed of suitable angle bar material, are brought into engagement with the upwardly projecting rods 1d forming the sides and bottomof the basket. These frame members 30 are provided with suitable apertures 32 adapted to receive the ends of the support rods 1% which are upset, as illustrated at 34 in FIGURE 2, to secure the frame members 30 in place. As best shown in FIGURE 7, one flange of each frame member 30 is struck inwardly at 33 to enclose the end of each frame member 3i such that the frame members 30 interlock with the upright corner members 20 and thus preclude lateral outward movement of the corner members 20 from the ends of the basket.

The basket is finally assembled by placing cross bars 38 across the opposite ends of the basket, these cross bars comprising angle bars notched at 40, as best seen in FIGURE 7, so as to seat upon the ends of the frame members 3% and having inwardly struck flange portions 7 42 at the ends thereof, serving to prevent lateral movement of the corner members 20 and the frame members 36 outwardly from the sides of the basket. The cross bars 38 are fixedly secured in place by threaded bolts 44' adapted to penetrate the ends of the cross bars 38'and the ends of the frame members 30, to threadedly engage internally threaded apertures 46 in the corner members 20.

As best seen in FIGURE 6, the Opposite ends of the Wire elements 14 forming the ends of the basket terminate in spaced relation to the limiting flanges of the cross bars- 38 such that these wire elements 14 are capable of undergoing thermal expansion without interference from the supporting frame.

It will be observed that the wire elements 14 0f the basket are secured to the supporting frame for the basket, which may be regarded as including the support rods 10 and 12, only by virtue of the successive loops or convolutions 48 engaging the spaced support rods 10 and 12. This construction allows the individual wire elements 14 to expand and contract substantially independently of the supporting frame, such that the basket may be intermittently heated and quenched Without damage to the basket arising from tendency of the parts of the basket to expand independently. Furthermore, it will be observed that the support rods 10 and 12 are slidably engaged by the supporting frame and therefore may undergo thermal expansion and contraction independently or both the supporting framework and the Wireelements 14.

I f t g t pr fe d em od m nt, t is ound preferabl to p orm the Wire leme s 14 from a re formed from lnconel or another suitable metal, so as to place the loops in the individual wire elements before it:-

* terlacingthe-wire elements 14 with thesupport rods Iii ner are secured together by intermeshing the spaced loops.

along onesidc of each basket portion then, subsequently,

passing the support rods 62 through these intermeshed loops. The resultant structure, as'illustrated in FEGURES 8 and 9, is a'longitudiual basket having a central partition designated by the reference numeral 66.

In assembling the basketfrom the intermeshing'U- 1' shaped bask t Portions, frame'members 63 provided with suitable apertures arefirst brought into engagement with the opposite ends of the support rods-62 in the partition 66, these ends being upset as illustrated at 79 to secure the frame members 68 into place. Next, corner members 72 comprising suitably apertured angle bars are brought into engagement with the ends of the support rods 62 in the ends of the basket and the ends of these support rods 62' are upset as illustrated at 74 so as to secure the corner members 72 in place. Next, suitably apertured frame members 76 extending longitudinally across the sides of the basket at the bottom of'the basket are brought into engagement with the opposite ends of the support rods 62 at the bottom of the basket, then the ends of these 6 support rods 62 are upset as illustrated at 7 to secure the frame members 76 in place.

When the basket has been assembled to this stage, side portions including normally extending. support rods and preformed wire elements 82 are positioned in the. sides of the basket with the support rods 89 projecting through suitable apertures in flanges 84 of the frame members 76.

7 With these side portions in place, frame members 86 provided with suitable apertures for receiving the support rods .80 are placed along the upper portions of the sides of the basket and secured in place by upsetting'the opposite endsof the support rods 80 'as illustrated at 88. These frame members '86 are also provided with suitable apertimes for receiving the uppennost'support rods 62 of the ends and partition of the basket, these support rods being upset, as illustrated at 93' and 92. These upset ends 99 and 92 cooperate with cross bars 94'crossing the ends of the basket and a .cross bar 96 covering the partition 66 in the basket to'space the frame members, 86 in parallel relation. 7 a V As illustrated best in FIGURE 9, the ends of the wire elements 82 forming the side portions of this modification terminate in spaced relation to limiting flanges in the corner members 72 of the basket. This allows for independent thermal expansion of the wire elements 82. To

4 elements in the preferred embodiment. Accordingly, washer elements 160- are positioned on the support rods 62 between each pair of adjacent wire elements 60 to take up the play between the wire elements. Since these washer elements 1% add nothing to the structural rigidity of the basket, they maybe eliminated without deleterious effects. a

The construction of this modification is analogous to that of the preferred embodiment, in that the support rods 62 and 80- of the basket are slidably engaged by and capable of thermal expansion independently of the sup porting framework. Similarly, the wire elements 6% and V 82 secured to the support rods .62 and '80 respectively,

are capable of independent thermal expansion both with respect to the support rods and with respect to the supporting framework; :This basket, therefore, has the desired @high resistance to damagedue to intermittent cooling and heat treating processes and further, has the advantage of being provided with a partition such that different classes of parts may be heat treated in the same basket without intermingling. V V

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, .as'disclosed and defined in the appended claims. J

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A porous metallic basket for containing articles being heat treated comprising, in combination, a metallic mesh including spaced parallel support rods and normally extending parallel 'wires, said wires each having a cross-sectional area smaller. than that of said support rods, each wire having free ends and an'intermediate body portion looped successively about each support rod, the margins of said mesh being bent at right angles to provide a rectangular box having a base, sides, and ends and a rectangular metallic frame including parallel side portions provided with spacedapertures adapted to slidably receive the ends of said support rods, the ends of said support rods being upset to engage the side portions protect the ends of the wire elements 82, angle bars 98 are nestled within the angled bars forming the corner m'embers72 and riveted to the corner members 72, so as to provide a channel for receiving the ends of the wire elements 82. This construction is best illustrated in 7 FIGURE 11. As also illustrated in FIGURE 11, this construction is facilitated by upsetting the ends of the support rods 62 engaging the corner members 72 into suitable reamed apertures in the corner members 72 such that these upset heads 74 will be flush with the corner members 72 engaged thereby.

In this basket construction, due to the fact that the wire elements .60 are intermeshed in the partition, these wire elements are spaced twice as far apart as the .wire

'of said frame, said frame further including spaced cross bars extending normal to said side portions for securing said side portions in fixed spaced relation.

2. The basket according to claim 1 wherein said frame is provided with channels for receiving the ends of said 'wires, the construction and arrangement being such that said wires are free to expand and contract within said channels without obstruction from said frame.

3. A porous metallic basket for'containing articles being heat t a e c mp ng, n mb ati a p ir f basket portions each formed from a metallic mesh including spaced parallelsupportbars and parallel wires extending normal to said support bars, said wires each having a cross-sectional areasmaller than that of said uppo b s, each a wire h ing free ends and an termediate bodyportionlooped successively about each said support bar, said wires. being bent into; a U-shape such that each basket portion includesa base and par.- allel sides, the two basket portions being positioned side by side with one side of one basket portion. abutting one side of the other basket portion, the wires forming said abutting sides meshing and being interconnected by support rods whereby said basket portions are joined to provide a single basket having a central partition, frame 'rneans slidably engaging said support rods for retaining a said mesh in the basket configuration, and parallel side portions enclosing the opposite sides of said basket, said side portions each including spaced parallel support bars secured to said frame means and parallel wires extending normal to said support bars, each said wire being looped successively about each said support ba A. The basket according to claim 3 WhGIQ IJ ili spacers having a length equal substantially to the thickness of said wires are provided between the wires looped about the support rods of said basket portions on all but the meshed sides of said basket portions so as to space the wires of said basket portions uniformly in parallel relation.

5. In a porous metallic basket for containing articles being heat treated, the combination including a metallic mesh formed substantially into the shape of a basket, said mesh including spaced parallel support rods and parallel Wires extending normal to the said rods, said Wires each having free ends and an intermediate body portion looped about successive support rods, said wires each having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the support rods, and frame means slidably engaging said 1 support rods for retaining said mesh in the configuration of a basket, said support rods being upset at the ends thereof for engagement with said frame means.

6. A porous metallic basket for containing articles being heat treated comprising, in combination, a metallic mesh including spaced parallel support rods and parallel wires extending normal to said support rods, said wires each having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the support rods, each said wire having free ends and an intermediate body portion looped about successive support rods, and frame means slidably engaging said support rods for retaining said mesh in a basket configuration.

7. The basket according to claim 6 wherein said frame means is provided with channels for receiving the ends of said wires, the construction and arrangement being such that said wires are free to expand and contract within said channels without obstruction from said frame means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,706 Riviere Apr. 7, 1896 714,657 Anderson Dec. 2, 1902 928,961 Grasberger et al. July 27, 1909 1,436,869 Egger et al. Nov. 28, 1922 1,646,716 Wheeler Oct. 25, 1927 2,507,152 Garofalo May 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 141,692 Germany Mar. 2, 1902 455,623 Canada Apr. 5, 1949 

